The General Secretary of the Railway Workers Union, Benjamin Essuman, has called on government to conduct a full-scale investigation into the alleged misapplication of GH¢40 million allocated for the rehabilitation of the Accra–Nsawam railway line.

His demand follows allegations by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Frederick Appoh, that the funds, which were released to the Ghana Railway Company Limited for maintenance works, were instead used to purchase wooden railway sleepers that have reportedly deteriorated.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, he said the union has given the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, until June 15 to initiate an independent investigation into the matter and publicly disclose the findings.

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“We are calling for an investigation into this GH¢40 million that has gone to waste. We have given the minister until June 15 to commission a structured independent investigation, which should provide full disclosure of the facts, after which a report must be made available to the public,” he stated.

The union also accused the Ministry of Transport of failing to implement directives intended to restructure the Ghana Railway Company Limited and recruit younger personnel into the sector.

Essuman expressed concern over the deteriorating state of the railway industry despite available assets, stressing that workers continue to endure severe financial challenges.

“Railways should not have collapsed considering the assets we have. Workers have not been paid for almost 12 months, yet companies are dragging the Ministry of Transport to court and nothing is being done. We are calling for the immediate deployment of 40 workers for now,” he said.

He further appealed to the Presidency to intervene and ensure accountability and reforms within the railway sector.

“We want transparency, and we are appealing to the Presidency to intervene to ensure accountability and restore sanity within the railway sector,” he added.

ANAS/MA